Automatic invoice notification

Abstract

Introduced here is a technology for automatic notification of an invoice for a customer based on identification of a customer identifier included in transaction data received from a point-of-sale (POS) system of a particular merchant (“the invoice technology”). The notification can include a promotion to provide an incentive to the customer to pay the invoice. The notification can be presented on a display of the POS system. Alternatively, the notification can be presented in a receipt for the transaction conducted at the POS system, where that receipt can be transmitted for display at a user device of the customer. For example, the receipt can be in the form of an email message or a text message. Upon notification of the invoice, the customer can submit a payment for that invoice (“invoice payment”) in exchange for the promotion.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 receiving, by one or more servers of a payment service and from a first point-of-sale (POS) device associated with a first merchant via a network, an indication of an unpaid invoice for a first transaction conducted at the first POS device between a customer and the first merchant, the unpaid invoice associated with a customer identifier; 
 storing, by the one or more servers and in a database, the indication of the unpaid invoice; 
 receiving, by the one or more servers and from a second point-of-sale (POS) device associated with a second merchant different from the first merchant, via the network, transaction data for a second transaction occurring at the second POS device between the customer and the second merchant, the transaction data including the customer identifier, wherein the second merchant is different from the first merchant; 
 at least partly responsive to receiving the transaction data and based at least in part on the customer identifier, identifying, in the database and by the one or more servers, the unpaid invoice; 
 generating, by the one or more servers, a customer notification after completion of the second transaction, wherein the customer notification includes an invitation to pay the unpaid invoice; 
 causing presentation, by the one or more servers, of the customer notification on at least one of a display of the second POS device or a display of a customer device associated with the customer; and 
 based at least in part on payment of the unpaid invoice, sending, by the one or more servers, a merchant notification to the second merchant that the invoice has been paid. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transaction data comprises first transaction data, the method further comprising:
 receiving second transaction data from a plurality of merchants, 
 wherein identifying the unpaid invoice is further based at least in part on the second transaction data. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the second POS device, invoice payment information indicating that the customer submitted a payment on the unpaid invoice; 
 transmitting, to the first POS device or another device associated with the first merchant, an indication that the customer submitted the payment; and 
 causing a transfer of funds from the first merchant to the second merchant as a compensation to the second merchant for assistance of the second merchant to the first merchant in collecting the payment. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the invitation to pay includes at least a name of the first merchant and an amount of the unpaid invoice. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the customer notification comprises a digital receipt for the second transaction. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 transmitting the customer notification to the customer device by at least one of email or direct message. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the customer notification includes a link, that upon activation, enables the customer to make a payment on the unpaid invoice. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the invitation to pay the unpaid invoice includes an indication of a promotion available to the customer upon the customer submitting a payment on the unpaid invoice. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the second POS device, invoice payment information indicating that the customer submitted a payment on the unpaid invoice; and 
 sending, to the customer device, a notification that the promotion is available to the customer. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 based at least in part on the transaction data, identifying one or more other unpaid invoices associated with the customer identifier; and 
 causing presentation of, on at least one of the display of the second POS device or the display of the customer device, one or more additional invitations for the customer to pay the one or more other unpaid invoices. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving an indication of a customer request to pay the unpaid invoice; and 
 based at least in part on the indication of the customer request to pay the unpaid invoice, causing funds to be transferred from an account associated with the customer to the account associated with the first merchant. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that the customer has paid the unpaid invoice; and 
 causing a transfer of funds from an account associated with the first merchant to an account associated with the second merchant as compensation for receiving a payment from the customer on the unpaid invoice. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the transaction data from the second POS device comprises receiving the transaction data from a merchant support application executing on the second POS device. 
     
     
       14. A system comprising:
 one or more processors; 
 a database accessible to the one or more processors and configured to store a plurality of invoices associated with individual merchants of a plurality of merchants; and 
 one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
 receiving, by one or more servers of a payment service and from a first point-of-sale (POS) device associated with a first merchant via a network, an indication of unpaid invoice for a first transaction conducted at the first POS device between a customer and the first merchant, the unpaid invoice associated with a customer identifier; 
 storing, by the one or more servers and in the database, the indication of the unpaid invoice; 
 receiving, by the one or more servers and from a merchant point-of-sale (POS) device of a second merchant of the plurality of merchants, transaction data for a second transaction occurring at the second POS device between the customer and the second merchant, the transaction data including the customer identifier; 
 at least partly responsive to receiving the transaction data and based at least in part on the customer identifier, analyzing the transaction data to identify, by the one or more servers, the unpaid invoice; 
 generating, by the one or more servers, a customer notification after completion of the second transaction, wherein the customer notification includes an invitation to pay the unpaid invoice; 
 causing presentation, by the one or more servers, of the customer notification on at least one of a display of the second POS device or a display of a customer device associated with the customer; and 
 based at least in part on payment of the unpaid invoice, sending, by the one or more servers, a merchant notification to the second merchant that the invoice has been paid. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the customer notification comprises a digital receipt for the second transaction. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the customer notification includes a link, that upon activation, enables the customer to make a payment on the unpaid invoice. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 14 , the acts further comprising:
 based at least in part on the transaction data, identifying one or more other unpaid invoices associated with the customer identifier; and 
 causing presentation of, on at least one of the display of the second POS device or the display of the customer device, one or more additional invitations for the customer to pay the one or more other unpaid invoices. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 14 , wherein causing presentation of the invitation comprises displaying an image of the unpaid invoice or information from the unpaid invoice. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 14 , wherein receiving the transaction data from the second POS device comprises receiving the transaction data from a merchant support application executing on the second POS device. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the transaction data includes an item-level description identifying an item that is a subject of the second transaction.